Cigar machine



Sept. 23, 1947. K. E..GRANSTEDT 2,427,854'

CIGAR MACHINE Sept. 23, 1947.. K. E. GRANSTEQT 2,427,854 y CIGAR MACHINE I Filed Aug. 5, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 www Sept. 23, 1947. K. E. GRANsTr-:DT 2,427,854

CIGAR MACHINE Filed Aug. 5, 1944 -4 sheets-sheet s MMWM.

Sept' 23, 1947 K. E. GRANsTD-r 2,427,854

CIGAR MACHINE Filed Aug. 5,l 1944 4,Sheets-Sheet 4 me/whom Patented Sept. 23, 1947 CIGAR MACHINE Karl Erik Granstedt, Stockholm, Sweden, assignor to Aktiebolaget Formator, Stockholm, Sweden, a Swedish joint-stock company Application August 5, 1944, Serial No. 548,210 In Germany July 16, 1940 4. Claims.

This application is a continuation-impart of application Serial No. 387,316, led April 7, 1941.

This invention relates to cigar machines. Its main object is to provide improved means for the rapid manufacture at low cost of cigars of good quality. In order to increase the output in the manufacture of cigars it has been proposed to make cigars of double lengths and then cut them into two halves ready for use. For that purpose large wrappers are required which should be pasted at the cut so as not to be torn off the bunch in the cutting operation. Thereby the cost will increase, since large wrappers are expensive and adhesive of high quality has to be used so as not to impair the quality of the end of the cigar that is to be ignited. My present invention comprises the provision of means which will increase vthe output without being affected with said 'drawbacks. To this end means are provided for cutting the bunches into two parts (which need not .be of the same size) while still being relatively moist and plastic and held safely by compressing means, whereafter the bunch halves are wrapped immediately, i. e., before the cut ends have become dry and hard. To Wrap the relatively small and soft bunches thus obtained small and inexpensive wrappers can be used, and no pasting of the end of the cigar to be ignited is required.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, my invention resides in the construction and novel combination of parts fully described hereinafter, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims appended hereto, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion and arrangement within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention.

In the drawing, in which like reference characters indicate the same or corresponding parts- Fig. 1 is a plan View of a cigar machine according to the invention;

Fig. 1a is a plan View of part of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a Vertical sectional View taken on the 'line II-II of Fig. 1 with some constructional features omitted;

Fig. 3 is a similar sectional View on an enlarged scale with some other constructional features omitted;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view on the line V-V of Fig. 1 with some constructional features omitted;

Fig. 6 is a. sectional view taken on the line VI-VI of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a plan View of a modified embodiment of the machine according to the invention;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line VIII-VIII of Fig. '7; y

Fig. 9 is a side elevational view on the line IX-IX of Fig. 7 with some constructional features omitted;

Figs. 10 and 11 are a plan view and an end View of a pincher for carrying bunch halves;

Fig. 12 is a diagrammatical end View on an enlarged scale of a wrapping device and means for driving same; and

Fig. 13 is a sectional View taken on the line XIII-XIII of Fig. 3.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several figures.

The cigar bunches A are introduced into the moulds 2 of a loading drum and during the rotation of theV drum compressed, dried, and thereafter transferred into an endless conveyor consisting of another compressing and drying drum 40 which has two halves 3 and 4, which are spaced apart by a narrow interspace 5, into which projects a cutter 6 for cutting and dividing the bunches in transit transversely into two halves. Thus the drum 40 has also moulds 2a of a size and shape corresponding to those of the moulds 2 and being divided into two rows of mould halves, and two halves A1 and A2 with oppositely directed head ends are produced of each bunch A, which has a length corresponding to the total length of the two bunch halves. The bunch halvesl1 are to be supplied to a wrapping device I (shown diagrammatically), and the bunch halves A2 are to be supplied to another, similar wrapping device 8, which is juxtaposed and arranged symmetrically to the wrapping device l. The bunch halves A1 transferred from the drum half 4 are supplied directly to the wrapping device l, by means of a rocking arm 9 which is pivotally connected at a pin 203 to a resilient pincher 2| and is secured to a rotary journalled shaft I Another rocking arm 200 is pivotally connected at a pin 20| to the machine frame and at a pin 202 to the pincher 2| and cooperates with the rocking arm 9 to form a so-called parallel movement mechanism as described in Patent No. 1,619,507. A similar rocking arm I0 having a similar pincher 2| serves for the supply of the bunch halves A2 to the other wrapping device 8, and it is also secured to the shaft Il. The arm l0 cooperates in the same manner as the arm 9 with a rocking arm 200 pivotally connected at a pin 20| to the machine frame and at a pin 202 to the pincher 2| to form said parallel movement mechanism. To the shaft II is secured an arm |04, to which is connected a link by means of a pivot I08 To the main shaft I3 of the machine is secured a cam disc I4 which actuates a bell crank lever |06, which is turnably journalled on a shaft |09 and to one arm I2 of which is pivoted a link |01. The links |05 and |01 are interconnected by means of a pivot |08 which is directed transversely to the pivot |08. In order to obtain a construction as compact as possible and an easy attendance to the machine, the wrapping devices 1, 8 and wrapper carriers I5 belonging thereto should be arranged symmetrically to each other and operate simultaneously. In accordance therewith the bunch halves A2 to be supplied from the drum half 3 to the wrapping device 8 are reversed before they are supplied to the wrapping device 8. This is performed by means of a pincher 28 which is arranged on the arm I1 which is mounted on a. shaft I6 and movable back and forth in the direction of arrows B. A toothed rack I9, which meshes with a toothed ring I8 of the shaft I6, is reciprocated by a cam disc 20, driven by the shaft I3, so that the arm I1 is swung through 180 between the receiving position shown -in full lines and the delivery position drawn in dash and dotted lines, where the pincher 28 delivers the bunch half to a holder 30 in which the bunch can be grasped by the pincher 2| of the arm I0. During its swinging movement into the dotted position the arm I1 turns the bunch half A2 taken from the drum half 3, so that the same obtains the same lonigtudinal direction with respect to its head end as the other bunch half A1, transferred from the drum half 4 -by the rocking lever 9. In its position in the holder 30 the bunch half A2 is caught by the pincher 2| of the arm I0 and transferred to the wrapping device 8. In the operation of the machine as now described both the halves A1 and A2 of a bunch A are removed simultaneously from the uppermost mould of the drum 40. Thus the bunch half A1 is transferred to the wrapping device 1 simultaneously as the bunch half A2 is transferred to the holder 30. Thus in the first cycle of operation of the mamachine the wrapping device 8 is in idle motion. In the second cycle of operation the wrapping device 8 receives the bunch half A2 that was severed from the bunch half A1 having been delivered to the wrapping device 1 in the rst cycle of operation. Thus, in the second cycle of operation and thereafter both the wrapping devices produce cigars in timed relationship.

The machine has two reciprocating slides 32 having each a die 33 secured thereto and cooperating with the moulds 2 and 2a of the drums I and 40, respectively. Each die 33 is provided at its free end with a recess ,corresponding to the moulds 2 and 2a so that, when a die 33 moves into a mould 2 or 2a there will be formed a closed space or chamber, corresponding exactly to the shape and size of the bunch A to be compressed. The movements of the slides 32 with their dies 33 are performed .by cams 34 secured to the shaft 35 and 36 upon which the drums I and 40 are loosely journalled. Pins 31 and 31y secured to the forked ends 38 of the slides 32 are adapted to enter apertures 29 in the bottom of the moulds 2 and 2a when said moulds register with said pins. Thus, after each stepwise rotary movement of the drums I and 40 a bunch A will be compressed by the dies 33 in the drums I and 40. Simultaneously therewith a bunch A will be transferred from the mould 2 of the drum I to an opposite mould 2a of the drum 40 and two bunch halves A1 and A2 produced by dividing a bunch A travelling from the die 33 of the drum 40 will be ejected from the drum halves 3 and 4 by the pins 31" and introduced into the pinchers 28 and 2|,

Turnably mounted on the shaft 35 and 36 are levers having each two arms 39 and |40, and a link rod 4| connects the arms 39 with a bell crank lever 42, one arm 43 of which has a roller 44 which rides in a curved groove 45 of a cam disc 46 secured to the shaft 41. To the lever arms |40 are pivoted pawls 48 which are adapted to mesh with the moulds 2 and 2fl of the drums I and 40. The pawls 48 have each a downwardly directed pivoted arm 49 which by means of a link rod 59 is connected to a bell crank lever 5|, one arm 52 of which has a roller 53 which rides in a curved groove 54 of the cam disc 46,

qThe shaft I3 drives by means of a bevel gear 6I a vertical shaft 55 to the upper end of which is secured a bevel gear 62 which meshes with a bevel gear 51 secured to the shaft 56. The shaft 56 drives by means of bevel gears 58, 59 and 60 the shafts v35, 36 and 41, respectively. At each revolution of the shaft I3 the shaft 56 and also the shaft 41 performs one revolution. Thereby at each revolution of the shaft I3 the pawls 48 will rst be moved to the right (Fig. 3) and then into engagement with moulds 2 and 22, and thereafter they will be moved to the left to turn the drums I and 40 one step corresponding to the circumferential distance between two adjacent moulds of each drum I and 40. Simultaneously the dies 33 and pins 31', 31 are in their retracted positions. Thereafter the dies 33 and pins 31', 31 are advanced to compress and eject or transfer bunches as described. During the travel of the bunches A in the drum I they are subjected to compressing action on their free sides which are dried by atmospheric influence before and after the compressing action. After having been transferred from the drum I into the drum 40 the opposite s'ides of the bunches A are dried and compressed in the same manner, and When they travel past the cutter 6, they are divided into the two halves A1 and A2, which are still dried slightly until they are simultaneously expelled from their mould 2a by the ejector pins 31" and presented to the pinchers 2| and 28 being in their receiving position above the top of the drum 40.

The pinchers 2| and 28 consist of two legs 10 and 1I (Figs. l0 and 11) supported by the arms 9, I0, I1. The leg 1I forms an integral part of said arms, while the leg 10 is pivoted thereto on a. pin 12 and urged against the leg 1I by a tension spring 13. The leg 10 has a laterally extending arm 15. Above the drum 40 are operative two arms 18 which are secured to a pin 19 that is rotatably mounted in an upright on the machine frame. arm 8| which is pivotally connected to a link rod 82 which is pivoted to the arm 83 of a lever 84 which is actuated by a cam disc |20 secured to the shaft 41. The lever 84 has still another arm 85 which is pivotally connected to a rod 86. The rod 86 as well as both the arms 18 have each a button 81 adapted to engagethe arm 15 of the pinchers 2| and 28, Thus, at each revolution of the shaft 41 the buttons 81 are elevated and open the pinchers 2| and 28 to receive bunch To the pin 19 is also secured an.

halves A1 and A2 from the drum 49 and a bunch half A2 from the. holder 30. kThereafter the buttons 81 move downwards, so that the springs 'I3 can close the pinchers about the bunch halves whichl are then transferred as described. The button that operates the pincher 2| of the arm Il) is first moved downwards together with the pincher, until the pincher embraces the bunch half A2, and thereafter the button moves still somewhat downwards, so that it allows the pincher to close about the bunch half in the holder 39, For the purpose of opening the pinchers 2| when they have arrived at their delivery positions above the wrapping devices 'I and 8, other buttons I9 are present, which form the upper ends of vertically movable rods The rods III are at their lower ends pivoted to one end of levers I I2 and |22, and the other ends of said levers form intermeshing toothed segments II3. The lever II2 is turnably mounted on the shaft |99 and actuated by a cam disc I|4 secured to the shaft I3. The lever |22 is turnably journalled on another shaft I2 I.

For the purpose of driving both the wrapping means simultaneously, the shaft I3 actuates driving means that operably interconnect both the wrapper carriers I5 as well as both the wrapping devices 'I and 8. Thus, a cam disc 88 is secured to the shaft I3 and actuates an arm 89, which forms an extension of a turnably journalled bevel gear segment 98. The gear segment 99 meshes with a bevel gear 9|, which is secured to a vertical, rotatably journalled shaft 92, to which is secured one of the wrapper carrier arms 93. To the shaft 92 is also secured a toothed segment 95 that meshes by means of gear wheels 94 with a similar toothed segment 95, secured to a vertical, rotatably journalled shaft 96, to which is secured the arm 93 that carries the other wrapper carrier I5. To the shaft I3 is also secured a pulley 91. A rope 98 runs over said pulley as well as over another pulley 99, and a further pair of pulleys 97| (secured toshaft I3) and IDD having a crossed rope 98' running thereon, each of said drive systems belonging to one of the wrapping devices I and 8. The wrapping devices 'I and 8 consist each of a set of bunch rollers IUI, which are driven by a gearing that meshes with gears |92, secured to the shafts |03, to which also the pulleys 99 and I 69 are secured. Obviously, in the arrangement as shown in Figs. 6 and..12 the bunch rollers of both the wrapping devices I and 8 revolve in directions opposite to one another so that the wrappers will be introduced between the bunch rollers in a direction towards the center of the machine. The means for opening and closing of the cluster as well as the introduction of the wrappers are of well-known nature as disclosed, e. g., in Patent No. 2,009,492 to Granstedt; Patent No. #2,006,113 to Rober, and Patent No. 2,267,648 to Granstedt and Anderson.

The mode of operation of the machine illustrated in Figs. '7, 8 and 9 is in part similar to that of the machine previously described. The bunch compressing and cutting means, the bunch half Dinchers and the means for actuating them, as well as the wrapping means, are developed and operative in the same manner as described above. Thus the cam I4 drives the rocking arm 9 by means of the bell chank lever |06, links |01 and |95 and arm |94 as described heretofore and parallel movements of the pinchers 2| are obtained by means of the arm 290 as mentioned. In the operation of this machine both the halves A1 and A2 of a bunch A are, however, transferred 6- simultaneously directly to wrapping devicesh and 8, respectively. Thus the bunch halves A1 are taken from the drum half 4 and transferred directly to the Wrapping device in the same manner as described above. The other bunch halves A2 taken from the drum half 3 are, however, transferred directly to the Wrapping devicev 8. Instead of the arms I9 and Il', as usedin the machine of Fig. l, there is a single swinging arm 22r which is movable in a horizontal plane and secured to a vertical rotary journalled shaft .23. The shaft 23 has a toothed ring A24, which meshes with ,a rack 25 that is reciprocated by a cam disc 26, mounted onjthe main shaft I3, so that the arm 22 is moved back and forth (as shown in Fig. 7) between the receiving position shown in dash and dotted lines and the delivery position shown in full lines and conveys` the bunch halves A2 from the drum half 3 to the 'wrapping device 8 on turningthem so that they obtain the same direction with respect to their head ends as the bunch halvesv A1. In this are rangement the ejector pins 3l (Fig. 3) present a bunch half A1 to the pincher 2| of arm 9 and simultaneously therewith the other half A2 of the same bunch to the pincher 2'I of arm 22,

I claim:

1. In a cigar machine, an endless conveyor having a row of bunch compressing moulds and an interspace extending across said moulds and dividing said row of moulds into tWo rows of mould halves, a cutter operative in said interspace to divide the bunches transversely into two halves, a pair of cigar wrapping devices, and a device for transferring one of the halves of a bunch from one of the halves of a mould to one of the wrapping devices and the other bunch half from the other half of said mould to the other wrapping device, said transferring device having means for turning bunch halves delivered from one of said rows of mould halves to obtain the same longitudinal direction with respect to their head ends as the bunch halves to be delivered from the other row of mould halves.

2. In a cigar machine, an endless conveyor having a row of bunch compresing moulds and an interspace extending across said moulds and dividing said row of moulds into two rows of mould halves, a cutter operative in said interspace to divide the bunches transversely into two halves, a pair of cigar wrapping devices, and a device for transferring one of the halves of a bunch from one of the halves of a mould to one of the wrapping devices and the other bunch half from the other half of said mould to the other Wrapping device, said transferring device having a bunch carrier and means for moving said carrier from one of the halves of said mould to a delivery station on turning a bunch half to obtain the same longitudinal direction with respect to its head end as the bunch half positioned in the other half of said mold.

3. In a cigar machine, a movable endless conveyor having a row of bunch compressing moulds and an interspace extending across said moulds and dividing said row of moulds into two rows of mould halves, a cutter operative in said interspace to divide the bunches transversely into two halves, a pair of cigar wrapping devices, a pair of bunch carriers, bunch turning means, means for causing one of said carriers to transfer one of the halves of a bunch directly from one of the halves of a mould to one of the wrapping devices, means for causing said turning means "7 to transfer the other bunch half from the other half of said mould to a delivery station on turning said other bunch half to make both the bunch halves obtain the 'same longitudinal directions with respect to their head ends, and means for causing the other bunch carrier to transfer the turned bunch half from said delivery station to the other wrapping device.

4. In a cigar machine, a movable endless conveyor having a row of bunch compressing moulds and an interspace extending across said moulds and dividing said row of moulds into two rows of mould halves, a cutter v'operative in said interspace 'to divide thebunches transversely into two halves, a pair of juxtaposed and symmetrically arranged cigar wrapping devices, tWo symmetrically arranged bunch carriers, bunch turning means, means for causing one of said carriers to transfer one of the halves of a bunch directly from one of the halves of a mould to one of the wrapping devices, means for causing saidv turning means to transfer the other bunch half KARL ERIK GRANSTEDT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Granstedt Nov. 27, 1934 Number 

